Reflection of the glacial-interglacial cycle in the evolution of the Vistula river Basin, Poland

A variety of factors has controlled the evolution of the Vistula river valley. They include climatically induced changes of the river runoff and sediment load, glacial advances and rapid variations of the base level, as well as the influence of the tectonic factor. The first-order climatic cycles are reflected in separate terrace fills. The second-order fluctuations may be represented by separate cuts and fills, by the change of the facies or by the change in the granulometric composition. The analysis of the changes in the longitudinal profile helped to discover a great variety of different valley reaches and a general tendency to smooth the long profile during the Quaternary.